About our Clinical Service:Developmental-behavioral Pediatrics is an area of expertise concerned with the developmental, learning, or behavioral problems of children and adolescents. Some of the most common concerns addressed by the Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics include:

Delayed development in speech, language, motor skills, and thinking ability

About our Team of Providers:MUSC Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics is comprised of a collaborative, interdisciplinary team of providers with a range of expertise, representing the disciplines of developmental-behavioral pediatrics, psychology, psychiatry, social work, and nursing. Our team collaborates with other health care and educational teams when indicated and provides services for children and adolescents (birth to 21 years of age) referred for a variety of developmental, medical, psychosocial, adjustment and/or educational concerns.

About the Evaluation Process:Your child's initial visit typically involves a developmental pediatrician, psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker. The initial visit will include an extensive review of concerns for your child and your child’s developmental, medical, social, and educational history. Consultation with teachers, therapists, and other healthcare professionals also helps define the scope of current concerns. Physical and neurological examinations may be part of the evaluation process, as well as a variety of standardized tests, questionnaires, observations, and demonstrations. These evaluations may be formal, with the child, or informal, by observing the child at play and interacting with parents and the examiner.

After this extensive evaluation, the healthcare provider will discuss their impressions and recommendations with you, which may involve referrals to other medical specialists within the MUSC network (audiology, cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, pulmonary medicine, nutrition, radiology) or an allied health professional (physical, occupational, and/or speech therapist, behavioral interventionist). The goal is always to understand your child’s strengths and needs, to determine what is typical and what is not, and to access services to help a child grow, learn, and develop to the best of their ability.